RussianPooper:I read somewhere that the reason the ridiculous things get included has less to do with the performers being prima donnas (in general) and more with making sure the venue pays attention to the important requirements regarding equipment and such.

That was David Lee Roth's explanation for the "no brown M&Ms" clause in Van Halen's concert rider.

theorellior:The fact that Iggy Pop managed to see age 65 is proof positive of the regenerational capabilities of the human body.

Legit question? It's something added to the contract venues must sign to get a band to appear. When one band (forget which) had a lot of lighting/electrical demands that truly needed to be met or their equipment could be dangerous to handle, they wrote in a rider about green M&Ms in the dressing room.

This way, when they walked into the dressing room, they knew whether or not someone had actually read the entire contract, including the list of required electricity requirements for their show.